Keeping It Even
by Dark Pikachu
Summary: Ranma and Nabiki try to make sure each one is cared for on a "date."


-1Disclaimer: Ranma and all characters are owned by Rumiko Takahashi and some giant corporations in one of those bizarre Japanese copywrite thingamajigs that no Westerner can understand. I own nothing.

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Keeping It Even

by

Dark Pikachu

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Ranma Saotome had very definite ideas about what 'fun' was, and, as far as he knew, attending a business seminar with Nabiki was not one of them. Especially if it was a combination business seminar and fancy dinner. Though that didn't mean that Ranma disliked eating. He just didn't like wearing a formal suit and tie, eating ridiculously small portions of European food that he had never heard of, and then spending two hours listening to guest speakers ramble on about accrued accounting techniques, the coming global economic meltdown, and the need to maintain variable interest rates at higher than the yield percentage (or something like that) all while having to sit in a very uncomfortable hotel dining chair the entire time. No, this most definitely was not his idea of fun.

But it was Nabiki's idea of fun, and that was as good a reason for him as any. Especially if it meant that Nabiki ended up wearing a strapless evening gown, one that hugged her breasts in just the right places to cause them to swell up and out, especially as she bent over, furiously scribbling notes on whatever the guy on the stage was saying (Ranma had long ago given up paying attention to the speakers).

"Ranma," Nabiki whispered, not bothering to look up from her notes, "quit staring at my boobs."

"Sorry," he said, averting his gaze and blushing slightly. "Didn't think ya'd notice."

"I notice everything, Ranma," she continued, still not bothering to look up, "that's how I stay on top of things at school and at home."

"Bored?" she asked.

He hesitated, afraid to hurt her feeling but remembering that Nabiki had made him swear to always be honest with her. "A little, I guess. Money and business were aren't really my thing ya know."

She finally stopped writing, putting down her pen and looking directly at him. "You didn't have to come. I could have come by myself. You could have said no when I asked you."

He shook his head. "I was going to, but then I remembered that sumo tournament we went to last month, and how bored you looked. You ain't a big martial arts fan but you still agreed to go with me."

"Because I wanted to spend time with you, Ranma." She took his hand. "You're right, I wasn't exactly thrilled to be at that sumo tournament, but I was happy to be with you. And I'm glad you came with me tonight. It's nice to attend one of these things with a date for once."

She leaned in, giving him a quick kiss. Ranma was suddenly very thankful that Kasumi had lectured him on Sunday about the need to make sacrifices in a relationship and sometimes do things you didn't want to in order to make someone you cared about be happy.

He put his hand on hers as she moved to pick up her pen and continue taking notes. "So, in the lobby I saw a poster advertising a big jiu jitsu tournament at the Tokyo Dome next Saturday..."

"Uh, huh." He smirked as she momentarily frowned, before schooling her features in that classic 'Nabiki schooling her features' way that only she could do. "Do you want me to meet you at the box office after school."

"No. Actually, it reminded me of this really great restaurant across the street from the Tokyo Dome. Mom took me an' Pops there for his birthday last month. Maybe I could make reservations for us for eight on Friday?

Nabiki blinked, realizing that Ranma was trying to reach some sort of middle ground for the both of them. "That...that would be nice." She smiled, one of those genuine smiles that she so rarely showed at school when in Ice Queen mode, one of those smiles that made Ranma realize how lucky he was to have her.

"That still doesn't get you out of visiting the Tokyo Stock Exchange with me on Sunday, though" she continued.

He smiled. "That's alright, then you'll have to go with me to the video game tournament in Shinjuku on Monday night."

"And you'll have to go with me to the autograph signing for my favorite soap opera stars on Tuesday."

"I like that show too," Ranma countered. "I was the one that suggested we go in the first place."

Nabiki turned back to her notes, the lecturer was finally getting to the good stuff on Adjustable Rate Mortgages and converting them into Certificates of Deposit. "Then I guess that'll make us even, Ranma baby."

"You're just lucky I love you," he muttered, slightly annoyed to hear Nabiki use a variation of the old 'Kuno baby' nickname she used when they didn't get along at all and she sold photos of him in his girl form and did a million other nasty things that he'd found himself forgiving her for after they finally realized how attracted they were to each other and had gotten past their stubborn prides to start dating.

"Yes I am, Ranma," she said, not looking up from her notes, "and even though you claim that this is you making up for me going to that sumo match with you, when we get home tonight I intend to show my gratitude towards you, maybe with that frilly pink piece you like me to wear."

He swallowed, "But...but that won't make us even anymore after Tuesday."

She smiled, the predatory smile that used to frighten him but now turned him on more than anything else. "Than I guess you'll just have to think of some other way to keep us even."


End file.
